“When people hear my accent, they often ask where I'm from...”

“When people hear my accent, they often ask where I'm from,” says senior Sophie Waddington-Bahena. A question that she's found difficult to answer. “I usually say I was born in Mexico City, raised in Zimbabwe, and spent some time in France.”

Standing six feet tall, articulate and soft-spoken, Sophie gushes about her love for travel and her thirst to learn about other cultures. Speaking fondly of the small American International high school she attended in Zimbabwe, she talks about her priority for intimate classrooms when seeking out universities. “I wanted to go to a school with small classes where there was a lot of individual attention,” Sophie says of her choice to attend Pacific University.

Deciding to major in education, with the goal of teaching in an American International school herself, it's hard to believe that Sophie was unsure of what she wanted to do when first arriving on campus.

“I think it's a huge advantage that American Universities give you time to declare a major. In France you have to know what you want to do before you even start school. Here you have some time to decide.” Excited about her future prospects and the accomplishments of her friends, Sophie smiles as she says, “It's going to be your future, so you might as well do something you enjoy.”